Improvement in animal-traps



e UNIT-nn STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

J. M. FLAUTT, or nEEDsURG, Wisconsin.

Speciication i'orning part of Letters 'Patent VNo. 45:595, dated December 27, 1864.

.To aZZ whom it may' concern:

B e it known that l, J .M. FLAU'i T, of Reedsburg, in the county of Sauk and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented a new and Improved Animal-Trap; and I do hereby declare that the following is full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in thevart to make and use the same, reference V.being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional side. elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view v lot the same. Fig. Sis a sectional plan or top view of the same.

' Similar letters of Lrelcrence indicate like .Parts; i

Thisinvention consistslinarranging, in the A passage leading'from the trap tothe cage and connected with the trap-docg. a hinged gate 'im 'such a manner that the animal in passing vfromV the`trap, to the, cage locks itself in, and at the same time resets the trap. The mechanism by which this object is accomplished is of' a peculiar novel character, and consists of a lever connected to the axle of the trap-door, and connected by a Y chain or cord with the springcatch which holds thetra'pdoor closed, in combination with a latch, which is operated by the action of a tappet projecting from the edge of the trapdoor in such a manner that when the trap-door goes ldown the lever-is released and the gateis allowed to swing open, but when the animal caught in the trap passes through the gate said lever is turned, and by its connection with the spring-catch holding l the trap-door said door is released causin g it to reset itself and to lock the gate.

A represents the box of my trap, made of Wood or any other material, and'of any convenient size.

The lid or trapedoor G is connectedto the' l rear edge of the trap by a hinge, a, and it is provided with an anchor-escapement, b, the the points of which engage with the escapement-wheel c. This wheel is secured -to an axle, d, on which a rope,y d', winds', which ex. tends' over a pulley in the end of an upright, B, and a weight, 7c, suspended from said rope, has a tendency to impart to said shaft d a rotary. m'otion in the direction of the arrow 4markedenear it in Fig. 2.

The' door C is opened 'by the action of a weighing?. attached man arm, which extends from its rear edge, and if it is open the escapement b is in such a position in relation to the wheel c that the weight 1c' has a tendency to close the door. It is retained, however, by the spring-catch m, which extends under a lip, j', projecting from the front edge of the same, and which extends down' and connects by suitable rods and levers with the tilting platform n, so thatwhen an animal steps upon said platform the catch mis released and the'door closes. A spring-catch, j, over the lip j', retains the same when closed, and it catch releases the lip.

The lower end of the catch j, lwhich has its the trap A to the cage E, and.,when the lever h is not locked, said gate is free toopen in the direction ofthe arrow marked near it in Fi fr. 1, allowing the animal to enter the cage. When the trap-doorl is open, the lever h is locked by a latch, f, which is pivoted to the upper edge of the trap A and subjected to the action of a spring, f7, but when the trap door closes a tappet, g, by striking against the shank ofthe latch, releases the lever h, and the gate D is free .to swing open; but it' the trap-door is closed by the action of an animal stepping on the tilting platform in the trap,

in the direction ot` the arrow m'arked near it in Fig. l, the spring-catch j is caused torethe action of the weights k and l. As soon as this takes place, the latch f drops behind the `,lever h, and the gate is` locked, so that the trap. i

By this arrangement any number of animals can be caught in the'sanie; trap, requiring no mals have been caught, the slide is depressed, andthe cage can now be removed for the pur; pose of killing the animals.

is not allowed to swing open until this springto the axle h', fon `which thegate D swings.. This gate is situated in the passa gefleading from said animal, inding himself lockedin, will attempt to escape through the gate D, and as it passes through this gate the lever his turned lease the trap-door, and the latter opens by' "animal cannot returnjfrom the cage to the open attention to the resetting of the same until the of the cage serves' When a suticient number of aui-` Ido not 'claimopemting the doors of a trap by meansof a suspended weight and' a cord acting in conjunction with an escape-ment; but

In combination with' the trap-door O, up-

. right B, 'Weighted line d, Wheel c, escapement.

b, gate l), lversh j, and chain i, allconstructed andoperati'ng as speid, the 'catch' f,

necrion with the fofe'smd gate D and door o as to lock the gate D shut when thetrap-door .C is open, and release the gate when tlge door is shut, in the manner and for the purposes explained.

J." M. FLAUTT.

vWitncssse's J., P. HALL, WM. F. MCNAMARA. 

